New beginning August 1, 2007: Fishing contest permits are no longer free; a fee is required for applications received beginning August 1, 2007. Fee for open-water contests:

Small contests (31-100 participants, 50 or fewer boats): $120 Large contests (more than 100 participants or more than 50 boats): $400 Fee for contests with off-site weigh-ins:

Small contests: $500 Large contests: $1,000 Fee for ice contests (more than 150 participants) is $120.

Fee must be submitted with the application. The contest fee is non-refundable except for applications denied following a drawing or withdrawn by the applicant prior to issuance of a permit. Once a permit has been issued, fees are not refundable. Fees may be waived for charitable organizations. Please submit proof of charitable status with justification for waiving the fee with the application for consideration by the commissioner.

OK, I'm not having a "tournament." I'm having a "contest." Or a "competition." Or better yet, I'm having a good ole' fish-whooping and whoever whoops the most fish wins. You can take your tournaments and go home if you want.

Speaking just for myself, I have no problem whatever with these fees. A tournament on a lake is a sure way to keep me off that lake in my little aluminum boat. Tournament anglers are not good neighbors for my boat.

As far as I'm concerned, any tournament that has an entry fee should be charged to hold the tournament. Let them raise the entry fee to make up the money.

im so tired of the gov getting there hands into every little nuck and cranny of our pockets it just makes me so angrythe money is arelavent pritty soon we will need a permit to cross the street to the mail box

Having a tournament on a lake cost the DNR and the state money, I think they said like $108,000 a year. Who do you think should pay for it, the tax payers or the tournament organizers and participants?

You say you don't want the governments hands in your pockets well if you are a tournament angler in MN you are going to pay for it either way. Either the money comes out of your taxes or it comes out of through fees.

I am all for the fees, I say that we should charge the people who are actually using the money instead of charging all the tax payers. If there was an art fair in a public park that was going to cost the state extra money for maintenence do you think taxes should cover it or do you think the art fair organizers should pay a permit fee to help cover the extra costs? Ultimately people don't want to pay for the activities they participate in but cry foul when other groups get tax money as well.

Maybe if a non profit group wants to hold a tourney the maybe an exemption can be had, but if a tournament is using our public water for commercial gains then I say a permit fee is 100% in order.